Thrown Switch - All Text is Great

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Fri Dec 28, 2001 8:37 am

I find I'm really enjoying this story's all text format. I'm sure part of that is that this particular story is more suited to the text format. It's much easier to deal with thoughts in a text format, and certainly the inner issues raised by being in unfamiliar bodies are easier to convey with text.It also seems to me that one day of text moves the story along more than one day of comic does.Of course the fact that it's a good story too probably helps.All in all Thrown Switch has made me even more interested in seeing a novel than I already was.

T Campbell · Post by **T Campbell** » Sat Dec 29, 2001 7:36 am

Ironically, it was some of the fanfic on this board and CRFH's that convinced me FANS could work as straight prose...

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Mon Dec 31, 2001 8:59 am

In that case, three cheers for Fanfic and CRFH!Thrown Switch is fast becoming my favorite Fans storyline.

TPau · Post by **TPau** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 11:04 am

Ack! is it going to be all text all the time?? i want hte pictures back <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">------------------
Fear me, love me, do as i say, and i will be your slave forever! --Labyrinth
<A HREF="http://lostland.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>http://lostland.keenspace.com</A>

T Campbell · Post by **T Campbell** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 11:50 am

Don't worry, TPau. "Thrown Switch" is an experimental storyline, and a short one at that. Pictures return Thursday.

SteveB · Post by **SteveB** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 12:05 pm

Eh.While I haven't hated the text parts as much as the thumbs down might indicate, I haven't particularly liked them. Prose is prose. Comix is comix. It's not that they can't be blended into a single work, but it is VERY difficult to do so successfully, IMO. I'm not enthralled by most of Mike Rosenzweig's experiments with it on "Everything Jake." I thought Sim did it well in "Jaka's Story" but not so well in "Reads" (and this has nothing to do with the content of "Reads," which was another matter altogether). I think it has allowed M'Oak to make "Thieves and Kings" move much faster than it otherwise could have, but I haven't liked the text pieces there much in and of themselves.And yes, I'm aware that this has not been pure text, either, with the icons giving at least a little bit of pictorial hint of facial expressions. It was cute the first time. It got old quickly, though, and I think you were right to keep this one short.So. I'm glad you're going back to "real" comics.Does my dissatisfaction with this storyline mean I'd be disinclined to buy a novel featuring the Fans! characters? I'm not sure. Frankly, if I did it would be mainly to support you so you could still do the strip. I could more easily accomplish the latter by just donating money to you, but some people like to think they're getting something for it (as I did when I ordered Alisin's Top 10). An ironic result of my burgeoning comics addiction is that I really don't have time to read novels anymore. People think of comics as quick reads, but when you follow over 100 comic strips in the paper and online plus spend $100/month on comic books and graphic novels, that doesn't leave much time for reading prose . . .Steve Bolhafner <A HREF="http://home.swbell.net/jsteveb/ecomics.html" TARGET=_blank>http://home.swbell.net/jsteveb/ecomics.html</A>

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Sat Jan 12, 2002 5:20 am

Well I have to admit I have a preference for text-based stories over visually-based ones. Having said that, I like a good story, and part of what makes a story good is that the medium it's told in matches the type of story being told.Stories that are heavy on action tend to be better told in a visual medium because it's easier to show action than to describe it.Stories that involve more thoughts tend to work better in a text or spoken medium because thoughts are often easier to describe than to show.I'd say part of my preference for text-based stories is that I like to get inside the heads of characters. It's also that I'm just not a terribly visual person. Most of the time I'd rather listen to the televsion than watch it.

Catz Bartlett · Post by **Catz Bartlett** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 6:44 am

Personally, I agree a *bit* with the negative comments...I was pining for a glance of something more detailed than a smiley after a day or so. If you wrote a Fans! novel, however, I'd buy it in a second...Heck, I'd buy the T-shirt you're selling on the site now, but for the fact that I'm kinda broke at the moment...Personally, I wouldn't mind if a novel - if it was ever written - involved Miller and Sully...all told, they were my favorite 'guest stars' in the history of the strip ^_^

Tuscahoma · Post by **Tuscahoma** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 1:10 am

I really liked the storyline, and in some ways, the smileys (smilies?) helped reinforce the confusion everyone felt dealing with switched minds. I loved the twist on a sci-fi cliche, and I loved the character development that happened and then didn't happen; it was almost painful when I realized that Rumi hadn't freed herself. I also like the little dangling plot thread. Rikk, while slow on the uptake on certain things, like relationships, also has a tendency to mull over things he hasn't gotten immediately (finally figuring out the false dawn thing). So it wouldn'y surprise me if Rikk either memorized or came back and copied the kanji on the stall to get a translation later.--Tuscahoma

Donkeyfeather · Post by **Donkeyfeather** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 3:23 am

I've been quietly following Fans! for some times now, and I generally like the art. But what keeps me coming and checking the page, every day of the week, is the storytelling, the plot, the writing. And boy did I get my fill in Thrown Switch. I absolutely LOVED it!
Not only was there a lot more story per issue, but more subtleties, and more insight into the various characters' thoughts. And since what I really appreciate about this comic is the depth of character development, each new page of prose was like eating a full wholesome meal. It was very satisfying.
Thank you.